Ginger Tale: On the First Day of Christmas

These are such busy times, it's almost painful when I sit down to write my blog! And yet...these are such busy times, it's almost painful when I can't sit down to write my blog!! My mind is so clogged with times, gifts, dates, lists, WORK (oh woe is work....what was that onion article again??) that every time I sit down, I'm distracted by the ten other things I need to do (or feel I need to do) in that half hour. I can't stay focused on any one thing for mroe than 5 minutes (look at that. I wrote mroe. MROE! I'm leaving it. That's how busy I am. No time to go back and change, only time to use it as fodder for blogging), let alone my blog. I start to write, leave it, and then come back and think, 'oh my gosh, that is all wrong. I am so not feeling that right now.' So I delete it, and start back at point A....write a little...leave it.....delete it........rinse and repeat. It's a vicious cycle.

So, I'm cheating. I have to keep flexing my creative muscles, so I'm using this month to count down to 2012 with my top 25 moments of 2011. I'm already behind, so here's the first six!

1. December and January are a trifecta for me. Celebrated are: the birth of a relationship (M+J fo eva), the birth of my homeboy Jesus, and the birth of my other homeboy Jim! Last January, we celebrated our little cluster with a camping trip with some friends, and an ice hockey game. Only--the temperatures (for both) were freezing! We spent an entire night in the lap of Tampa Bay, with lows in the 30's, in a nylon tent (orsomethinglikethat), 2 layers of clothes, some sleeping bags, and each other. But we didn't give up! We built a fire, drank a lot, ate a lot...and even had a run-in with some raccoons. The little buggers stole our marshmellows!! And it gets better--we stole them back!!! (true story). It was just like The Great Outdoors , only John Candy was replaced with Kevin Burn; a 55 year old retired Floridian trapped in the body of a 28 year old banker. And maybe there weren't all the bears and lightning strikes...just beers and lightning hockey players. In any case, it was an immensely fun adventure to kick off our 2011!

Jim, Mo, and layers for a Florida cold wave.

our partners in crime, shivering and pretending not to hate us for inviting them camping in January!

2. Michael began his baseball career! Missing teeth and all; and he played for the CUBBIES!

will break the curse in 2027

3. I PAID OFF MY CAR! let me emphasize my excitement a second time. I PAID OFF MY CAR!!!!!

4. I saw these guys in concert!
And these guys!!!
And this dude
And these kids
And this gal
And these guys killed.
and it was a good year for music.

5. A sad day when we bid farewell to James and Stella